Browsing Category

Music Producer Blog & Promotion

R34L dawned a fresh era of alt-electronica with ‘NEW WAYS’

Posted on 18 May 2024

Trippy, transcendent, and rhythmically compulsive, the latest artfully orchestrated installation of alt-electronica, NEW WAYS, from the producer duo, R34L, comprising Sarah Hartman and Cason Trager is a cultivated vessel to spiritual ascension, wrapped in the aura of Lynchian reverie.

Hartman’s vocal lines harmonise with the divine high above the leftfield mix of electronica that will heighten any Portishead and Caroline Polachek-orientated playlists. The sense of soul that Hartman brings to the release in synergy with the lighter textures of the luxe track allows tides of catharsis to wash over you as the strong glitchy backbeat juxtaposes the lush layers with a sense of gravity that you’ll want to anchor yourself to time after time.

Whether you find your body beat to it or use it to slip into a sense of serenity by following the dreamlike progressions as they exit material reality, NEW WAYS defies ambivalence with its potent alchemy, which is likely to be extended through R34L’s upcoming 13-track LP, Falling in Place, which promises to place the listener in the unchartered middle-ground of indie-pop & club music.

NEW WAYS was officially released on May 10th; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Excavate yourself away from anxiety with Jennifer Jess’ alt-pop tour de force, Evergreen

Posted on 18 May 2024

After hitting the 1 million Spotify streams mark with her debut single, Blue, in 2019 and building a loyal 18,000+-strong fanbase, Jennifer Jess has always been dangerous to underestimate. Yet, there was no anticipating what the Atlanta singer, songwriter and producer would bring with her latest single, Evergreen, which digs deep into how fear is the ultimate inhibitor, especially when it plasters a façade on our authenticity and locks us into the stagnation of paralysis.

The lyrical centrepiece, “I’ve been afraid before but more afraid of fear itself”, is all the more resounding when projected through the visceral soul of Jennifer Jess’ striking delivery which cuts as sharp as the orchestral strings which quiver over the dark and moody electronica aesthetic which sonically visualises the metaphorical storm Jess is breaking free from.

Strident, striking and artfully intense, Evergreen is far more than an aurally powerful alt-pop release; it forces you to accept that no one can help you break away from fear or keep your dog in the fight for you. The hurricane force of the production is formidable enough to convince you to create a defining point in your reality by excavating yourself away from anxiety, and that is exactly why Jess has a legion of fans behind her.

Evergreen will be available to stream on all platforms, including SoundCloud, from May 17th.

Discover more ways to connect with Jennifer Jess through her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Be Bigger Not Bitter with Tago’s Feel-Good Hip-Hop Juggernaut, Let Me Talk About Mine

Posted on 16 May 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsXyEZ7iyJU

Tago stepped back into the spotlight with his latest single Let Me Talk About Mine, which is set to be a significant moment in his career. The Dallas-based rapper and producer, who has spent the better part of a decade behind the scenes, enriching other artists’ careers, now takes centre stage, showcasing his own story with soul-infused conviction that demands attention.

With Let Me Talk About Mine, Tago crafted lyrics that are both sharp and introspective, set against a backdrop of electrifying beats and cutting-edge electronica aesthetics that shake the dust off old school while tapping into the grit of it.

This single is an unreckonable assertion of self-worth and an invitation to witness his ascension in hip-hop. His narrative is potent, steeped in personal growth and the gritty realities of forging one’s path against the odds. Tago captivates through this monolithic hit, employing kinetic rhythms that propel the listener through his journey of self-realisation and unflinching ambition.

It’s a track that will stand the test of time as a testament to Tago’s ability to weave traditional influences into a modern sonic landscape that pulsates with energy. If you’ve ever felt overshadowed, step into the limelight with his emboldening instant classic.

Stream the official music video for Let Me Talk About Mine from May 16th.

Follow Tago on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Experience the intimate opulence of Jonathan Thomas Maiocco’s cinematic pop ‘Heaven’

Posted on 14 May 2024

Jonathan Thomas Maiocco’s latest single, Heaven, is a cinematic pop production far too arcane to dissect; each element converges and creates a divine intervention of vulnerability, exhibited with aching sincerity, thematic intensity, and profound artistry.

The distinction within his harmonic inflections, his ability to come across as the virtuoso next door and the progressive ingenuity of Heaven ensures the single reaches the epitome of striking an emotional chord.

Using the afterlife as a parable for the degree of separation following the dissolution of a relationship that leaves you feeling beneath your former significant other is a striking ode to the artist’s ability to tune into meta phenomena to bring profound meaning to the most tormenting aspects of our mortal coil.

Heaven is the ultimate paradox for the way Jonathan Thomas Maiocco fuses chamber pop opulence and drama with the intimacy of introspection with neither aspect diminished by the gravity of the other. The Atlanta-born singer, songwriter and producer’s strong foundation in music composition evidently culminated in this expansive tour de force.

He’s come a long way from his Christian music beginnings to producing for the Grammy-Award-winning artist for KING & COUNTRY to releasing his debut in 2019. After moving to LA in 2020, Jonathan Thomas Maiocco has written for hit Netflix and ABC shows, including Russian Doll and Carol and the End of the World. Yet, if you tune into his new album, Religious Trauma Syndrome, you’ll find that’s his biggest achievement so far. It’s stunning enough to simultaneously tear your soul apart and lead you to nirvana.

Heaven was officially released on the 29th of April; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Reach Nirvana with DJ Roko’s Slice of EDM ‘Heaven’

Posted on 12 May 2024

DJ Roko dialled up the disco dance-pop euphoria in his latest burst of beat-driven euphoria, Heaven; 90s disco nostalgia permeates the exhilarated EDM production that embodies the UK producer’s influence of David Guetta, Tiesto and Calvin Harris while leaving plenty of room for his signature style to ensnare the airwaves. If rhythm is a dancer, as Snap! proclaimed in ’92 it would get down to this hit that will maximise your lust for life.

The West Midlands-born, Glasgow-based artist and DJ first exhibited his talent for fusing kinetic rhythms with melodies that melt into the mind through his official debut release, Velocity, earlier this year, and has already attracted over 10k monthly Spotify listeners with the infectious intensity within his sound that will undoubtedly flood dancefloors throughout 2024.

With his self-produced debut LP, in addition to several other projects, ready to drop later this year, DJ Roko isn’t a name EDM fans will want to ignore for much longer.

Heaven was officially released on April 27; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Policy Orchestrated the Ultimate Shadowed Symphony of Alt-Electronica with Lunella in ‘Lights Out’

Posted on 7 May 2024
Policy

With his latest single, Lights Out, the award-winning producer, multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer, Policy, exhibited how his three decades in the industry have culminated through his heart-wrenching cinematic soundscape which paralyses with power from the first ominously reverberant synth stroke.

The dark and stormy instrumentals feed delicious disquietness until the dawn of the single breaks with Euro House nostalgic euphoria. Through it all, Lunella’s vocals keep an even heart-breaking keel, channelling ephemeral grace in the same vein as Bjork. Her voice, steady yet heartrending, navigates the complexities of quasi-heartbreak with a finesse that mirrors the track’s richly layered instrumentals. The refrain, “You only love me with the lights out,” acts as a raw nerve, exposing the pain of love that lingers in the shadows, never fully revealed.

Policy’s synthesis of trip-hop, house, and dystopic avant-garde synth-pop will leave you ensnared in the beautifully crafted chaos of heartbreak. Every note and lyric is meticulously woven to explore themes of love, rejection, and the introspective shadows of the human experience. For fans and new listeners alike, Lights Out promises a sonic experience that captivates and haunts in equal measure.

Lights Out will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from May 7th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

From Surgeon to Synths: CORM!! Unleashed Electrifying Ecstasy with ‘Lose My Mind’

Posted on 3 May 2024

If you tune into one up-and-coming EDM producer this year, make it CORM!! His latest hit, Lose My Mind, which will euphonise the airwaves with exhilaration is set to drop on May 3; when it does, the impact will be colossal.

The anticipation for the first drop builds right from the intro of lush reverb and female vocals, which break through the arcane atmosphere to directly deliver a sensuously melancholic vignette of heartbreak.

The emotional underpinnings may be heavy, but the ecstasy within the electrifyingly layered and heavy bass-bolstered progressions carries them effortlessly allowing pain and vulnerability to transmute into a synthesised storm of vindication which proves that even if you do lose your mind, you can still come to life on the dancefloor.

When CORM!! isn’t proving his mettle as the architect of visceral EDM floor-fillers, he’s going by the name Dr Jason Cormier, donning a white coat and living up to his legacy as a world-renowned neurosurgeon. Inspired by the likes of Skrillex, Diplo, and Tiesto, CORM!! has a varied discography, ranging from dubstep, trap, future house, big room and pop; hit play on Lose My Mind, and you’ll meet a hybridic earworm that won’t just bed down, it will arrest your rhythmic pulses.

For the full CORM!! experience stream the official music video for Lose My Mind on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mia Laren navigates passion and fatal dysfunction in her Latin Dance Pop track, My Heart

Posted on 2 May 2024

Since 2019, the Baltimore-born, Cali-based singer-songwriter, dancer and producer, Mia Laren, has rhythmically and emotionally moved her international fanbase; her latest Latin Dance Pop track, My Heart (can’t live or live or without you), captures Laren at her most infectious, intimate and powerful.

After an intro which nods to Gaga’s Alejandro, Laren opens her single up to a sensually electrifying, moodily hypnotic groove which constructs an exotically rich platform for her arcane harmonies to ascend from. The monocultural mould disintegrates around her infusion of folky Eastern mysticism and Latin guitars in the electro-pop mix which explores the tormenting nature of your heart beating for someone that will ultimately be the death of you if you keep clinging to the dysfunction in the name of passion.

It’s a rare feat to discover a release that is organically rooted in the heritage of Latin and folk yet transcends contemporary pop trends with a stylish flair that embodies couture pop, yet, five years after learning how to produce music on her laptop, Mia Laren achieved it with plenty of sincerity and authenticity to spare.

My Heart was officially released on April 24; stream the official music video on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sojourn into Scott Murphy’s profound musical ethos with his seminally lush release,  Follow the Right Light

Posted on 28 April 2024

Scott Murphy’s standout release, Follow the Right Light, featuring Janek Gwizdala, Daniel Chu, and Padget Fresh Nanton, taken from his expansively styled album, a dream of form, is a sublime exploration of the intersections between easy listening jazz and art-rock.

As Murphy’s sax lines lace the instrumental soundscape with smoky strident cultivation with a similar sense of Pete Wareham’s fiery finesse, the trip-hop-esque percussion modernises the jazz-infused production, ensuring that Follow the Right Light resounds far away from your typical and inaccessible jazz fare.

Scott Murphy, an internationally acclaimed name in the jazz scene, proved exactly how he earned his prestigious stripes with Follow the Right Light; the 10-minute sojourn into sensuous serenity is as essential as listens come for those who carry a penchant for jazz, and those who look for catharsis in lush sound palettes.

Follow the Right Light was officially released on April 20; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MrrrDaisy delivered haunting harmonies and fierce fidelity in ‘Echoes of You

Posted on 28 April 2024

’MrrrDaisy may not be one of the most prolific artists of his generation, but when he does drop a track, he makes a profound impact. With his latest single, Echoes of You, which follows a year-long sabbatical, the Ghanaian-Spanish artist and producer pulled his fans into the spectral shadow side of dance-pop.

As haunting as a Portishead release, as euphorically elemental as a Kygo anthem, there’s an affecting parallel of dualism running through the fierily lush veins of the single which marks a departure from the artist’s overt yet distinct Afrobeat style.

The energy brought by the big bass-swathed beats and stabbing horns may be colossal, yet the vocals match it by seamlessly evolving from a smoky hell-hath-no-fury timbre to vulnerable delicacy to a stridency that belies the vocal style.

Despite the short duration, the affecting aura of the bitter-sweet song endures. The exposition on how memories linger as shadows couldn’t be closer to the mark. For anyone who knows how it feels to find the spectres of lost love everywhere, there are swathes of catharsis to be found in Echoes of You.

Echoes of You was officially released on April 18; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast